At the end of the 19th century, rich travellers from the British Empire invented luxury tourism by coming and spending autumn or winter on the French Riviera and in the capital. To deal with these demanding and wealthy foreigners, hotels had to be designed to meet their expectations. They themselves referred to them as palaces. At the time, the word palace referred to a luxurious public establishment, such as the famous Crystal Palace in London. And it was only at the start of the 20th century that the word palace definitively entered into the French language, as a synonym for an internationally famous luxury hotel.

The French palace hotels originated in Paris as well as in the big upmarket resorts on the French Riviera and in the Basque Country and Normandy. Place Vendôme, Rue de Rivoli, Avenue Montaigne, Promenade des Anglais, Croisette, Avenue de l'Impératrice … Palace hotels are above all locations, addresses in our city centres, full of prestige and history.

And the history of these mythical places is often tied to that of their prestigious guests!

The balconies of the most beautiful suites of the Hotel de Crillon, in Paris - one of the oldest and most luxurious palace hotels in the world - have seen France's whole history go by: Place de la Concorde, the former Place Louis XV, the former Place de la Révolution; the National Assembly just opposite, the Arc de Triomphe, Les Invalides or the Eiffel Tower stand proudly against the Parisian sky. It was in this mansion that Queen Marie-Antoinette took her first piano lessons.

You come to the palace hotels to sleep, dine, be seen or celebrate, in the company of the illustrious ghosts of one-night visitors, frequent guests or lifelong residents who left their mark on the place. One month a year, Salvador Dalí stayed in the former royal suite of Alphonse XIII at the Hotel Meurice, where he splattered the walls with spots of paint while his tame ocelots scratched their claws on the carpet. Thanks to the Franco-American millionaire and patron Florence Gould, the Meurice also hosted one of the last literary salons in Paris. The Ritz welcomed Marcel Proust, Ernest Hemingway, Charlie Chaplin and Coco Chanel, who lived there for over thirty years.

Emotions brought back to life

Today, the palace hotels brilliantly bring past eras and emotions back to life: the grandiose thirties (George-V, Royal Monceau), the brilliant 20's (Bristol), the eclectic 1900's (Plaza Athénée), the flamboyant Second Empire, the classic gems of the 18th century (Ritz, Crillon, Meurice)… And the palace hotels are reinventing themselves. The Royal Monceau Hotel or the Meurice restaurant have been revisited by the internationally famous French designer Philippe Starck, recreating the splendour of yesteryear and combining it with the comforts of today…

And the kitchens are also being updated. By welcoming promising young chefs or great well-known chefs (Eric Frechon at the Bristol, Christopher Hache at the Crillon, Michel Roth at the Ritz, Alain Ducasse at the Plaza…), the palace hotels are creating a taste revolution and their restaurants are earning star ratings - some even being awarded three stars. The tea rooms are also being updated, and are attracting famous pastry chefs. As are the bars, like the ones at the Ritz or the Plaza-Athénée, a venue highly prized by Parisians, who go there for the international atmosphere, the careful attention to detail, the blue-tinted bar and the music.

To distinguish this special world from the rest of the five-star category (which was introduced in France in 2010), a Palace label will soon enable visitors to recognise these exceptional establishments.